History

Roseville's land was originally home to the Dakota and Ojibway. The first white settlers came in 1843, and the Native Americans left the area by 1862. Rose Township was established in 1850; it was named after one of the first settlers, Isaac Rose. The township included the areas now known as Roseville, Lauderdale, and Falcon Heights, as well as parts of present-day Saint Paul and Minneapolis. The area saw rapid growth through the 1930s and 1940s, and Roseville incorporated as a village in 1948 to accommodate it. Falcon Heights and Lauderdale soon followed suit, and Rose Township ceased to exist. The first Roseville Police Chief was Ray Goneau and he held that position until 1977.